Mayor Frank Huttle III today announced his support of Governor Chris Christie’s proposed constitutional amendment to cap property tax increases at 2.5% annually, calling upon the state legislature to place the measure on the ballot this November. With New Jersey property taxes increasing 70 percent over the last ten years, Mayor Huttle has joined the Governor in drawing a line in the sand.

“Enough is enough. Englewood residents are reeling from ever growing property taxes, which are pricing people out of their homes and making our city and state increasingly unaffordable,” Mayor Huttle said. “A constitutional amendment that guarantees the capping of annual property tax increases at 2.5% begins to end this ever growing upward spiral and helps to mandate the discipline we need to put our fiscal house in order.”

The Mayor believes that concerns about restrictions on local spending will be safely offset by the ability of a municipality to go above the cap if the voters in any given year choose to override the amendment’s ceiling through a referendum placed on the ballot.

“Municipal spending across the state has grown by 69 percent over the last ten years. In Engelwood, taxes and spending have risen almost 40% over the past three and a half years because our politicians have not had the will to break this vicious tax and spend cycle. This proposal finally gives our residents a break and puts the power back into the voter’s hands,” declared Mayor Huttle. “I urge our state legislative leaders to post this proposal for a vote in Trenton as soon as possible so that we can get this measure on the ballot and begin to provide our municipalities with the tools they need to get the nation’s highest property taxes in check once and for all.”